Students who purchased e-textbooks saved only $1 in some cases when compared with others who bought traditional books, according to a new study.
The two-year study by Daytona State College, funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, evaluated students who bought traditional books, rented print books, rented e-textbooks and purchased e-books.
A few years ago, the introduction of e-books in college bookstores held promise for saving students money and becoming a popular choice among today's wired students. Instead, they've fallen flat -- with many students still preferring a paper option.
Students who purchase e-books also forfeit the opportunity to sell back their books at the end of the semester.
Fewer than 1 percent of students who shop at the CU Bookstore are choosing e-book titles, according to officials.
"I'm old-school," said Kyla DeForest, a University of Colorado junior studying marketing. "I still prefer a traditional textbook."
DeForest, who works full-time as a consultant for a tax company and pays for her own education, said saving money on textbooks is a high priority. She priced out her textbooks for the spring semester on Friday: They'll cost $367 if she can find all used versions, and $480 if she pays full price.
Last year, she saved textbook money by renting -- a relatively new strategy that's gaining popularity with CU students.
CU's textbook rental program is saving students $700,000 a semester, according to Brian Groves, director of the official CU Bookstore. The rental program began in 2010.
Twenty-five percent of the books in the CU Bookstore are available to rent, and 90 percent are available on the bookstore's website.
Groves said a book rental shakes out to be about half the cost of buying the book.
About 15 percent of students are taking advantage of the rental options, he said.
Glenda Alvarenga and her sister Myra, both CU students, shopped early for textbooks Friday, hoping to find used books before they got snapped up. The spring semester starts Jan. 17.
"I can't do e-books," said Glenda Alvarenga. "I feel like it doesn't stick when I read it electronically."
E-books make up about 3 percent of the textbook market. The National Association of College Stores found through a survey that three-quarters of students still prefer hard-copy textbooks.
College students spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.